36% Judicial Officers In India Are Women, 26% Of Court Complexes Do Not Have Separate Ladies' Toilet

The Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju has answered questions in the Parliament regarding facilities for women in the Court Complexes and has informed that there are 35.56% women judicial officers in the country and that the High Courts have 101 women judges out of 778 total judges (9%).

Goa has 70% women judicial officers while Gujarat has only 19.76%. Among the High Courts, 33% of Sikkim High Court Judges are women while only 3% of the Orissa High Court Judges are women.  

The Minister told the Rajya Sabha yesterday that 74% of the court complexes have separate ladies' toilets while 26% do not have the same. He said that the primary responsibility of the development of infrastructure facilities for the judiciary rests with the state governments.

It was further informed that the Union Government is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the development of infrastructure facilities for the Judiciary by providing financial assistance to the State Governments or Union Territories and the scheme also covers the construction of lawyers' halls, digital computer rooms and toilet complexes in the district and subordinate courts.

On the issue of court vacations, it was said, "… the length of the summer vacation and the number of holidays for the court and the offices of the court shall be such as may be fixed by the Chief Justice and notified in the official gazette so as not to exceed one hundred and three days, excluding Sundays not falling in the vacation and during court holidays. The Supreme Court Rules, 2013 came into force with effect on 19th August, 2014."

The minister further said that the working days in the High Courts are regulated by the rules framed by the respective courts and that the government is fully committed to the independence of the Judiciary and constantly endeavours to provide a conducive environment for judges to discharge their judicial functions smoothly.

He also said that the disposal of pending cases in courts is within the domain of the judiciary and no time frame has been prescribed for the disposal due to which the government has no role in the same.